Robert Reich on Companies Profiting from Family Separation

Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explained how a 'vicious cycle of money, influence, and cruelty' is hurting vulnerable migrant families. “As the Trump administration detains thousands of immigrants at the border, defense contractors and private prisons stand to make a fortune from their suffering,” he explained. “The biggest beneficiaries of Trump’s cruelty are private prison corporations, such as Geo Group and CoreCivic, which operate roughly 60% of all immigration detention centers.” According to Reich, private firms have made over $434 million off unaccompanied immigrant children by scoring contracts to transport them. And, just last year, the federal government paid private prison companies over $2 billion for immigration detention. Stock prices for private prison companies have also risen during Trump’s presidency thanks to his strict stance on immigration — meaning that these harsh policies are good for business. “The immigrant detention industry has strong ties to the Trump administration. One company even hosted its annual retreat at a Trump golf course,” Reich explained. “It’s a vicious cycle of money, influence, and cruelty that keeps immigrants behind bars, many of whom have every right to seek asylum from violent conditions elsewhere. Behind Trump is an industry that profits from his cruelty.”